Distributor



Jan/:14, 1930.* T. GRI-:AVU 1,743,770

DISTRIBUTOR Filed Feb. 18, 1929 Patented Jan. 14, 1930 TONASE GREAVU, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN DISTRIBUTOR Application led February 1S, 1929. Serial No. 340,766.

This invention relates to improvements in distributors, and refers more particularly to distributors intended for holding such articles as toothpicks, matches and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide a distributor that may either be hung on a wall or stood on its base that has a pusher device therein for pushing the contents towards a discharge opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a distributor having a resilient shutter therein which prevents accidental discharge of the contents, and one end of which moves outwards and frees the contents when exposed portions of the latter which lie adj acentto the discharge end are pulled outwardly; and

also to provide means on the shutter for moving one end thereof outwards so that some of the contents of the distributor are free to drop out.

Vith these and other objects in view which will become apparent as the specification proceeds, the invention, which consists in certain novel construction and combination of parts is hereinafter more fully described with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a side view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof wherein only the front plate and part of the spring` of the pusher mechanism is shown.

Figure 8 is a partial front elevation, and .Figure 4 is a detail. In the drawings, l indicates a stand having a base la, sides lb and a back 1C. A portion of the latter is shown in Figure 4 having an opening 2 therein adapted to receive a nail head so that the stand may be hung on a wall. The sides 1l continue upwards and form the sides of a container 3 which has a forwardly and downwardly inclined bottom 4. The top 5 of the container 3 is inclined and curved downwardly towards the front so that its front margin terminates slightly above the front edge of the bottom 4.

The back end of a resilient shutter 6 is soldered, or otherwise suitably secured, to the latter side of the top 5 intermediately of the latter and extends transversely substantially the fully width of the container.l The frontend of the shutter is downwardly curved within the container so that its front margin normally lies substantially contiguous to the bottom 4 a short distance behind the front 55 end ofthe top 5.

Substantially centrally of the width of the bottom 4 in the front of the latter a recess 4a is cut therein which extends rearwardly behind the front margin of the shutter 6. Substantially centrally of the width of the top 5 and shutter 6 and in the front of both the latter recesses 5a and 6a respectively are provided, and the margin of the recessed portion 6a is generally forwardly flared as indicated at 6b. 65

With this construction it follows that when the front margin of the shutter 6 is pulled outwardly intothe position indicated at 6c a space is left between the lower margin of the shutter and the bottom 5 of the container "70 between which the contents may be removed. Moreover a portion of the contents that lies against the front margin of the shutter 6 below the top of the recess 6a and over the bottom recess acan be caught hold of and pulled out by springing the front of the shutter so that it moves into the position indicated at 6C; or again, the outwardly flared margin 6lu may be utilized as a handle with which to pull the front end of the shutter forward so that some of the contents either fall out or may be shaken'out.

A pusher mechanism is provided for pushing the contents of the container towards the front, and consists preferably of a flat plate 8 85 extending across substantially the full area of the container. One end of a coil spring 8a is soldered, o-r otherwise attached, to the rear side of this plate, and the opposite end of the spring is fastened to a second plate 8b which is substantially the same size as the first plate 8 but is provided with rearward flanges 8 to hold it square with the sides of the container. These flanges 8c rest against a slide 9 which is transverselyi slidable on 95 guides 10 which project outwardly from the rear margins of the bottom 4 and top 5.

To fill the container 3 the slide 9 is moved laterally on its guides l0 and the pusher mechanism removed.

The receptacle formed between the base 1a and the bottom l may, of course, be utilized for dead matches or any other suitable purose.

Vhile in the foregoing the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and shown, it is understood that the invention is susceptible to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Vhat I claim is A distributor comprising an inclinedrcon.-

tainer having a flat bottom and a top which Y is curved downwards towards the fro-nt and terminates a short distance above the front edge of said bottom, a resilient shutter in said .container having one end secured to said top and its front portion downwardly flexed so that its front margin normally rests on said container bottom, said top bottom and shutter each having a recess formed therein which extends rearwardly from its front edge substantially centrally of its width, so that articles in said container below the: top of the shutter recess and over the Vcontainer recess may be gripped from outside and pulled against the shutter so that the front portion of the latter is flexed forwardly and its front margin moved out of contact from said container bottom thereby releasing the pulled articles from the container, said container having a filler opening therein, and a cover over said opening. p

TONASE GREAVU. 

